Large vs. Largo: Say ‘Big,’ ‘Wide,’ and ‘Long’ in Portuguese
Large is usually grande; largo means wide, while comprido describes length.
Real Life Portuguese · 4 min read · Updated October 15, 2026
The short answer
Grande is the everyday Portuguese adjective for large or big. It works for a large room, a large drink, or a big decision. Its opposite is pequeno or pequena.
Use grande for large in size
Precisamos de uma mesa grande para seis pessoas.
We need a large table for six people.
Você tem este casaco em um tamanho maior?
Do you have this coat in a larger size?
Use largo for width
Largo commonly means wide or broad. It describes the distance from one side to the other, not overall size. It also appears in some place names and expressions, so context matters.
A avenida é larga, mas tem muito trânsito.
The avenue is wide, but has a lot of traffic.
A porta precisa ser mais larga para a cadeira passar.
The doorway needs to be wider for the chair to pass through.
Use comprido for length
Comprido means long in physical length; longo can also describe time, distance, or a longer text. If you want to describe all dimensions together, grande may be the simplest choice.
A mesa é comprida e cabe na parede do fundo.
The table is long and fits along the back wall.
A sala é grande, mas a entrada é estreita.
The room is large, but the entrance is narrow.
Put it into practice
Large is usually grande, wide is largo, and long is comprido or longo.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “The avenue is wide, but has a lot of traffic”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
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